I've had problems with their "I'm smarter than you" salespeople. But there's no better cable resource.
For Those Who Are Unaware of The Cable Company
If you are shopping for new cables and are intimidated by the enormous range of possibilities, The Cable Company might be of interest to you because:
1) Their cable lending library is an affordable means of borrowing already burned in cables and auditioning them at home.
2) They offer individualized advice based upon your budget, gear and sonic preferences.
3) Return/refund policy.
There have been some complaints in the past about salesmen pushing particular brands. This hasn't been my experience, however. I've repeatedly sought out the guidance of one particular guy and I couldn't be more satisfied with how I've been treated and the sonic improvements. If you are intersected, PM me and I will provide you with his name.
They don't carry every cable in existence. Nobody does. But they carry a much greater range than anyone else I know of. Accordingly, my last 5 out of 6 cable purchases have been from them.
40 responses Add your response
+1 @lalitk +1 @krelldog agree didn't meet my expectations. |
I don’t agree that their prices are somehow out of line. The guy I’ve ended up working with is unfailingly patient and has never pressured me to buy anything. It’s a collaborative relationship, not a dictatorial or manipulative one. He’s let me keep cables longer than stated on the website. Once, when he was on vacation, I talked to another guy who I did not like at all. I simply waited until my guy was back. Yes; at times he gets very busy and I may have to wait a couple days for a response or call back but I don’t mind this. No big deal. If you want to go the buying used, trying and selling what you don’t like route, then clearly TCC is not for you. For me, selling gear is an unavoidable part of the hobby but not something I want to do any more than necessary. Nor do I want to deal with buying new cables and hoping they’ll burn in before it’s time to return them. I find the opportunity to try several.cables from different manufacturers at a given price point from one source a very convenient and practical way to go. |
There are a few folks better at being more helpful than others at TCC, for sure. Whether people like the price or not, having a library to choose from is a nice option if you dont like to buy/try/returning cables at one of the big retailers. The good news is you can pick and choose the final set of cables you like the most once you are done rotating a handful of cable sets. Enjoy!
|
@stuartk Tried sending you a PM but it wasnt an option. Possibly they changed how to do that since the last time I attempted it. Trying to find out the guys name that provided you with excellent customer service. Thanks in advance! |
Funny, about i.e. "pushy sales people". Let's see, folks contact them about cables, because they sell cables and might let you try them. They are in business to provide a product and a service to the general public, and to make a profit doing it, or they would not be able to remain in business any longer. If you are calling them to simply waste time, or preloaded with a bunch of long-winded questions with no intent to buy anything, yep - best to just move on and let them help other customers who are serious. I have absolutely no affiliation with The CableCo but can't imagine what its like to be a salesperson trying to help people out who dont want to pay for a little extra for advisory and consulting to get the best value cables for their system. The whole damn thing is a crapshoot anyhow not knowing if any cables will help your system or not. Just have to try it and see what works. And, what TheCableCo is all about. Option-B is to buy a stack of cables, try them all out, take a big loss reselling later. |
The lending library is part of their sales model, you should expect they'd not be happy with one who endlessly borrows, never purchases. With freq. flyer program you end up paying at competitive price. As for pushy sales people, you, the customer are the boss, simply reminding them of this in a kindly way usually makes for a satisfactory exchange. |
I just received a new Acrolink interconnect from them, brand new. Wait time was 6-7 weeks. The importer of Acrolink is a real sh**head, he sat on my order for weeks but Steve at the Cable Co stayed on him and he finally checked his stock and shipped it to me. If it wasn’t for Steve, I would still be waiting. Steve sent me numerous email messages keeping me up to date. I will definitely do business with them again. |
I worked a the CC for a number of years. There were numerous people that were simply information and time sucking Dudleys .. The CC is a business; as such if you want to sit around the campfire chatting about cables maybe do it on a forum such as this. I know from experience that if I have a customer that buys stuff I’d take as much time as they needed. |
Makes perfect sense. I don't contact them unless I have a specific sonic goal in mind and money in hand. I can see how dealing with "tire kickers" could get old very fast! I prefer to establish long-term relationships with businesses. I guess this is an old-fashioned idea that I picked up from my dad, but at any rate, it requires mutual trust and knowingly wasting someone's time is not a particularly effective strategy for nurturing trust.
|
Just happened to see this thread and figured I'd give Ethan a shoutout. I'm going through the "discovery" phase of how various cables affect my system and he's been great to work with. My first borrow was very heavy on Shunyata stuff, but the second one includes a lot of brands (all power cords) I'm hearing for the first time in my gear (Kimber, Cardas, Snake River...he recommended the Cardas Beyond Clear and it's been solid so far in my source). No idea how much time and money I'd have wasted if I did this blind. I was leaning toward Shunyata Theta PC's, but since they are partially silver and my source and DAC (Chord DAVE) lean bright, that would have been a pain to sort out. So my goal for now is to "sweeten" my system without smothering the details. |
Well, it would be silly to waste time and resources to find exceptions to the rule. Which, yes, IS the whole point. Theta is a well-built cable from a reputable brand that no doubt works well in other systems, but it's silly not to extrapolate information and learn from the experience. It IS a $1000 item, not a throwaway cheapie you can toss in the closet if you buy it and it doesn't work out. Theta makes a fine control for cables that use silver. In my case, I also own a Gamma PC (copper) and it had none of the brightness/over-fast transients of the Theta. Thankfully, plenty of options with copper and even gold options. If you have a recommendation for a silver PC that isn't absurdly expensive and can "warm up" a cool system, please do so. Thanks. And FWIW, I did ask about the Snake River Signature (which does use some silver), but it was unavailable for borrowing at CC. My experience with the Cottonmouth Gold has been very pleasant thus far, so no big loss there. |
I’m not knowlegeable enough myself to assert what "the rule" is. I’ve had silver cables that did lean toward the bright side, silver cables that were neutral and one that was on the warm side. None were power cords, however. Generally, I shy away from anything that would shift the system as a whole toward brightness. I just bought and posted about Darwin Natural 2 silver ICs. They are notably transparent but not bright. And If I hadn’t just committed to a power cable upgrade, I would’ve auditioned Darwin’s ac offerings. In fact, if I had the $, I’d try an entire loom of Darwin but that’s not doable at present. As mentiomed, The Cable Co. doesn't carry all brands. |
“In fact, if I had the $, I’d try an entire loom of Darwin” I fully acknowledge that everyone hears differently and no two systems are the same. After experimenting with an all-silver loom in my own setup, I’ve found that silver cables are best integrated with a copper loom. A trial is needed with different positions in your system for the most effective outcome. In my experience, going full silver can lead to an overly etched or fatiguing top end unless balanced properly, regardless of brand. Of course, if someone prefers an all-silver loom, it might simply reflect their hearing preferences or room/system synergy — though I sometimes wonder if some of that preference stems from reduced sensitivity to high frequencies. IMHO, silver doesn’t actually amplify or add energy, but its electrical and surface properties can emphasize certain sonic traits, especially treble detail and transient speed thus creating that impression. Silver cables are often perceived to have “more energy” than copper cables primarily due to differences in conductivity and high-frequency behavior. In the end, users can choose how much energy one can handle given their system and more importantly their personal preferences. |
To clarify, I wasn’t making any assumptions or assertions re: an all silver cable loom. My recent acquisition of the Darwin Natural 2 IC pair has simply inspired curiosity about exploring it just to discover what it might sound like. I don’t buy cables I can’t demo at home and return, if necessary. I'm definitely not one who prefers tipped up sonics.
|
I’ve worked with Peter (now with Audio Group Denmark) and John at the Cable Co. I’ve always been treated like a partner and valued their recommendations. I think Peter was a bit biased towards Synergistic (I think he worked there). John was a little more laid back. He turned me on to RSX Technologies. To be clearer, I chose the RSX power cords and phono cable based on a shoot-out with Shunyata, Synergistic and Audioquest. The thing about the Cable Co. is you get to try the cables in your system at home—over time. It was always my ears that I trusted to make the final decision. |
“I wasn’t making any assumptions or assertions” Thanks for the clarification. And I was merely reiterating my experience with a possible outcome of all out silver loom for our readers. Exploring new gear is the fun part of this hobby. It’s always a smart move to only try stuff you can demo at home. |
Yeah and I appreciate that. Even though the suitability of any piece of gear is (in my opinion) best judged when heard within the system it’s destined for, in the same room, by the same set of ears, this doesn’t mean there aren’t broader recurring patterns/relationships/factors or that it’s not common sense to pay attention to them. I think this is one of the advantages of a forum like this -- helping one-another recognize such things.
+1
|
Thank you! I really appreciate that. And from everything you’ve shared here and your interim system —your passion for music and your thoughtful approach to the hobby really come through. It’s clear you’re navigating some real constraints with both space and aesthetics, but still making the best of it and planning ahead smartly. |
Yes; major room constraints and yes, passion for music, too. At this point, my focus is "good enough" when it comes to sonics. Emotional and physical engagement are most important to me. Any hint of fatigue or sibilance immediately takes away my desire to listen. As do dry mids and sloppy bass. If the system sounds "slow", my body won’t fully be on board. I’ve learned the above through making mistakes. Down the road, I’d like to try some different speakers and try an outboard DAC, again. The Hegel and it’s onboard AKM DAC are a little rolled off on top and I’d like to see whether I could get a bit more extension without opening the door to fatigue/sibilance. My previous Aqua La Voce DAC (burr brown) yielded better bass but the upper mids were fatiguing. I just upgraded ac cables, which restored much of the bass. As you know, it’s an ongoing balancing act. Anyway, that’s my story, in a nut-shell. Thanks for your encouragement |
You just described the very traits my audio system embodies and deliver in spades. It’s just not the tonal beauty we seek to create, we also need equal parts coherence, immediacy, and physicality without any listening fatigue. As far as DAC, look into LTA Aero DAC. Based on your preferences, it may be the piece you’re missing. Good luck with your journey! |
Ah, well, maybe I’m heading in the right direction, then! I was actually considering that Aero DAC but the descriptions of its tone emphasizing upper mids and highs gave me pause. Instead, I bought a used Mojo Mystique XSE, which sounded very dull in my system. I’ve always believed I favor a warm sound but this experience made me realize one can have too much of a good thing. I returned the Mojo and instead, focused on improving bass for this upgrade cycle. In hindsight, the Aero might’ve worked really well. I shall keep it in mind for the future. |
I have no experience with them. I started out with Audio Art, about 15 years ago, as they were very affordable, offered a return policy and the owner Rob Fritz is one of the nicest guys I've encountered in the business. At a certain point, I could afford to spend more so I opted to explore other possibilities. Utilizing The Cable Company's lending library seemed a highly practical way to go and having had a very positive initial experience, I've (for the most part) stuck with them ever since. |
I’ve used them since the 1990s. I’ve always had a good experience. I don’t use their Lending Library if I’m just considering or toying with the idea of maybe getting some new cables, but haven’t really committed to a change.
I usually audition four cables at a time after extensive research. Once, I auditioned four cables and none were satisfactory. Then I did four more and found a cable that was exactly what was looking for. No matter what the manufacturers or reviewers say, there’s no substitute for trying them in your system. That’s exactly what The Cable Company allows. It’s a great idea. |